This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an innovative exercise program on muscle strength, balance, and gait kinematics in elderly community-dwellers. The exercise program included strength and balance training and the 8-form Tai Chi Chuan. The measurements were carried out at baseline and 12 weeks, and consisted of four physical performance tests, joint isokinetic strength tests, and three-dimensional gait analysis. Fifty-six community-dwelling older adults aged 60–80 years old were randomly assigned to an intervention or control group. After 12 weeks, the intervention group showed a 17.6% improvement in the timed up and go test, accompanied by a 54.7% increase in the 30-second chair stand test score. Significant increases in the score of star excursion balance tests, and the strength of the extensor and flexor muscles at knee and ankle joints were also observed. In addition, the intervention group walked at a faster speed with a longer step length, shorter support phase, and a greater sagittal plane range of motion at the hip and ankle joints. No statistical improvements were seen in the control group. This study provided an effective, evidence-based falls prevention program that can be implemented in community settings to improve physical fitness and reduce fall risks among community-dwelling older adults. The star excursion balance test could be a sensitive measure of physical performance for fall risk assessment in older people.

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Capacitive power transfer (CPT) based on electric field coupling has been proposed recently as an alternative technology for wireless power transfer, and a good understanding of the capacitive coupling is of great importance in the design and evaluation of CPT systems. A new term named capacitive coupling coefficient k E is introduced to provide a quantitative measure of the coupling condition between the coupling plates. The term is derived by modelling the capacitive coupling plates based on electric charge balance, and its physical meaning is explained clearly in relation to the equivalent primary/secondary and mutual capacitances, which is also experimentally demonstrated by comparing two CPT systems with different cross-coupling configurations.

Highly enantioselective additions of arylboroxines to simple aryl ketones have been achieved for the first time with a Rh/(R,R,R,R)-WingPhos catalyst, thus providing a range of chiral diaryl alkyl carbinols with excellent ee values and yields. (R,R,R,R)-WingPhos has been proven to be crucial for the high reactivity and enantioselectivity. The method has enabled a new, concise, and enantioselective synthesis of the antidepressant drug escitalopram.

Mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefins have been developed, which feature high ylidic character. These compounds have been used as efficient catalysts for hydroboration of imines, nitriles, and N-heteroarenes.Article pubs.acs.org/joc